I have the water drop lucid. But I get use pur faucet also and sometimes a berkey set up to fill it haha. What about PFAs that's the next big thing going on amen that people are concerned about. U should take the reigns on that. That'd be gr8
Zero Water filters suck. The second time I go to get replacement filters they are doing something odd. It worked fine with the new pitcher and filter. Replacement filters on Amazon sucks. I got grey water and one of the replacement filters I had leaked at the top. I refuse to spend money on shipping to return crappy products to Amazon.
@@chocolatecaramel4447 Grey water coming out of a brand new filter indicates activated carbon media fines are being flushed out. This is completely normal and most likely the cause, although I've not personally seen it with ZeroWater as their filters come pre-primed. When there is a leak at the seal, the filter needs to be screwed on tighter - this is one of the design flaws of ZW, you really have to screw it on super tight
Great video! I would love to see a test of, say, the top 5 pitchers comparing them at the end of their recommended filter lives, and perhaps even a test of a few weeks beyond, to see how they stack up against the test with brand new filters. It would also be interesting to see how long it takes for one of them to have no effect --- like what happens if you don't replace the filter for 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, or however long until the water is basically the same as it went in.
@@waterfilterguru It's a very good idea. I've seen tests after longer usage that show even after a couple of days some filters lose their filtering abilities and what's even worse bacteria presence jumps significantly. I would love to see such a test from you one day
@@kayblossom8505 That depends on your personal preferences. While distillation is one of the best methods of water purification, the downside is that it takes massive time and energy inputs to distill a relatively small volume of water. 6-8 hours on average for just one gallon.
I've been using Clearly Filtered for about 2 years now and I absolutely love it. We all can taste the difference in our water now that it's filtered. The complete fluoride reduction is what sold me. My only complaint is that water somehow got into the handle and I was unable to get it out, so there is discoloration, probably from the normal water contaminants that are in there. I plan to replace the pitcher, however, and will continue to stay with this company.
Great video as always. At the end of the day all I want to know what removes the most and does not introduce more nasty s. You were not kidding about the cost of the epic filter replacement. The filter is basically the price of the unit. I would just buy another unit. I don't understand why you don't have 500k plus subs. Your work is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the feedback! This was my first video covering multiple products like this. Was there anything about it you didn't like? Anything that was boring or missing that you were hoping to see? I take audience feedback very seriously which helps me improve my videos every time I make a new one 🙂
@@waterfilterguru I thought it was good. Some categories don't mean as much to me but it may mean a lot to someone else. I have well water so I am not interested in fluoride reduction but someone who has city water it is a really big deal. You will never please everyone because its to broad of different wants and needs. Just leave it alone it was perfect I found out what I needed and I am sure others did as well. I noticed some people suggested you do follow ups with these products. I like that most of these filters have a 90 day lifespan well is that claim true. That would be really interesting.
My solution was to take my chipped and slightly cracked old Brita countertop (27 cup model, iirc) pitcher and use the cheap filters ($3 each) in it to filter out most of the major crud. Then use that (pre) filtered water in a better pitcher with a more expensive cartridge. The result is about the same quality, but the more expensive filter lasts 3-4 months as it's not getting clogged. YMMV, naturally. But yes, pre-filtering your water is a cheap way to make those higher quality filters last a lot longer.
Thanks for the great video. Changed my mind from buying the Clearly Filtered to the Epic. The cost for the pitcher and 6 filters was $130 less and I think the filters last a month or so longer based on what I’m reading. Big long-term savings and I don’t mind having a small amounts of fluoride in my water under the lowest of healthy limits, like you had. My city water smelled like chlorine, so I installed a CuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water Filter - 50K Ultra High Capacity. It’ll now effectively serve as a pre-filter for the colder water stored in the fridge from this Epic pitcher. Hopefully my Epic filters will last 4-months or more thanks to that.
Great comprehensive review! I've been hesitating between Zero Water and Clearly Filtered. Looks like the latter is more cost-effective in the long-term. Not convinced that the Epic deserves its spot above ZW or CF. That design flaw made me gasp in horror.
Hey thanks for your comment and feedback. This really helps me to know this type of content is helpful and I should keep doing videos like this one! Epic took the top spot, based on our data-driven scoring system. Although both CF and ZW performed better in terms of overall contaminant reduction, they each had an issue that brought their scores down (cobalt added by CF, and ZW not addressing disinfection byproducts well). This is why Epic received a higher score
Don't fill up the unfiltered reservoir too much and leave it on a flat level surface. It doesn't leak around the filter so if you're not overfilling the reservoir you're perfectly fine. Problem solved.
Wondering if you tested this for microplastic removal? A ConsumerLab test, done a few months ago, showed a 1,200% increase in microplastics from this filter. Zerowater says it's not true, so unsure if it's a quality control issue, or error. Interested to know if you tested for microplastics, and the results? Thank you!
No, unfortunately microplastics were not one of the analytes included in the lab test we used. I'd love to start testing every product for a microplastics as well, but currently testing for microplastics is extremely expensive and cost prohibitive. Hopefully new testing methods will bring the cost down and make it more feasible for folks testing at home.
@@waterfilterguru I already ordered a camelbak with lifestraw for a quick holiday next week, and looking at the larq purevis 2 for the longer run, but I would feel more confident after a thorough review and lab testing; thank you for your involvement!
Clearly Filtered filter only lasts 2 months for me .. a one person household... they said its because of high sediments in NYC water which clog the filter. They suggested I get a sediment filter but I wouldn't even know where to start with that. They do have oustanding customer service and I have always had a positive experience when I have reached out with questions.
I've heard this from a number of folks about NYC water. You could pre-filter with a cheaper filter (like a basic Brita) which should help extend the lifespan of the more robust and expensive CF filters. As the customer support rep mentioned you could also consider a sediment filter installed under your sink on the cold water line, like this UF filter from Waterdrop waterdropus.pxf.io/4PkbnZ
These reviews are excellent! Anyone that wants a filter should watch your channel before choosing their own. My question is, if I want to test water from my local spring both before and after filtering, do I need to buy more than one Top Score testing kit?
If you are wanting to test a water filter's performance, then yes you would need to test the water pre-filtration and then post-filtration. Then you can compare the reports to see how the filter performed. Check out the Tap Score Spring Water specific tests geni.us/72RzPaw
@@waterfilterguru Thank you for letting me know! We have a local spring that the city said is "ok". I think I'd rather know for myself before I drink too much of it.
@@gman1868 You're welcome. We always recommend lab testing. What the federal government says is OK (under the The National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR)) is different from what we personally might feel comfortable with. For example, the Maximum Contaminant Levels for contaminants under the NPDWR were developed to balance both public health and economic cost to treatment facilities - NOT solely on human health risk.
Zerowater is absolutely amazing but the fact the filters go so fast and the cost is insane. Sometimes I forget to pick one up , or if the store is out of stock then I’m screwed
Yes they are the most expensive filters to replace out of all the systems I've tested so far. But there is a hack to extend their lifespan 😉 check it out th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html
For some reason TH-cam wont let me reply to you in my orginal comment so putting it here 😊 If you look on Modern Castles wesbite, he has provided access to all his Tap Score reports. The 1st test added 0.0035 Cobalt to his filtered water. The second added 0.0065. He also found over both tests it added molybdenum, selenium and nitrate.
When we start to see patterns emerge from multiple tests we can be more confident as to the root cause. In this instance, we saw a similar 0.0054 mg/L of cobalt detected post filtration, so that's 3 tests right there with similar results, which supports the hypothesis that cobalt is coming from the filter itself. In our test, Molybdenum and Nitrate were already present in the unfiltered water, and detections decreased post-filtration. So with this limited data we can't say whether or not the filter imparted small concentrations of these or not, since overall the detections decreased. It's really interesting to see data from other folks conducting similar testing, thanks for sharing your comment!
Thanks. You reduce points for slow filtration. But with chloramines (not present in the well water you tested) wouldn’t slow filtration be a plus? I thought slow was best to remove the ammonia in chloramines, which is the issue with my water along fluoride etc. I’ve been using clearly filtered but follow you in case there is something substantially preferable. Thanks again
Just to reiterate, the water we used for this test was *treated* well water - it comes from a community well that has a treatment plant which disinfects the water with chlorine (though not chloramine). Part of our scoring system accounts for filtration rate, which is explained in our testing process document here waterfilterguru.com/how-we-test-water-filters/ That said, you are right sometimes slower filtration (like you get with gravity-fed units) is indeed beneficial as it gives the water longer contact time with the media. We take this into account in our scoring system, and gravity-fed systems (like these pitchers) are graded differently than pressurized systems. The Clearly Filtered should be doing a solid job for you reducing both chloramine and fluoride. A great method to target chloramine is catalytic carbon, which I'm fairly certain is one component of their media blend.
There has to be a balance between filtration speed and contaminant removal. Slowness can help with contaminant removal, but what good does that do if we end up being thirsty and looking at an empty pitcher?
I'd been using PUR water filtration pitchers for around 15 years, but over the past year, I started noticing more and more tiny pieces of charcoal, and very tiny plastic blue, round pellets on the bottom of my water glasses! YUCK! And that is after carefully priming the new filters. I had to buy a very fine-mesh sieve to FILTER the charcoal pieces and weird blue things out of my filtered water. No bueno. I knew it was time for a change, so I decided to do some research, and buy a new water filtration pitcher. After watching your video, I purchased the Epic Water filtration pitcher from Amazon. I loved it for the first two weeks, and I was so happy because the water was CLEAR: no tiny pieces of charcoal or teeny, tiny blue pellets. But after two weeks of usage, the water suddenly and unexpectedly started tasting LIKE PLASTIC!!! It was so bad that I ended up returning the pitcher to Amazon. I had such high hopes for the pitcher, but it let me down. I would definitely LOVE to see a follow-up video that includes testing after one month of usage, plus a TASTE TEST!!! Thank you for all the info in the video...in spite of the Epic Water filtration pitcher being an EPIC FAILURE IMHO!
for my area, the things exceeding EWG are Chromium (hexavalent), Haloacetic acids (HAA9)†, and Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)†. any recommended water filters?? I live in Hawaii
Interesting, can you share more about where you found this info? Thanks for the request, I'll be testing the seychelle next time I do a pitchers project
Thank you for reviewing water filters- these videos have been so helpful! Can you use king tank filters on the berkey gravity fed? I don’t want you to buy a whole new system - nether TH-camr said you can you pro one filters on berkey.. I was wondering about king tank Thank you
Could you do a shower filter test? We had a springwell whole house filter in our old home but had to move and the water in the apartment smells strongly of chlorine… tastes horrible, too. We will need to filter the sink water and also shower water since we don’t have the option of a whole apartment filter.
Thanks for the request! We do have shower filters on our project list. That said, most shower filters really only target the disinfection chemical (chlorine), and are all pretty similar.
Would love to see videos on filtering water bottles. I do a lot of traveling for work and have been using the clearly filtered one for a few years but have never really found any detailed comparisons online. I first used the Epic water bottle but shortly returned it after I saw their results sheet only showed 68% reduction of fluoride.
Returning the Clearly filtered. The pitcher design is horrible. Most of the time the spout doesn’t open properly, resulting in spilling water everywhere. In addition, the back lid has a very hard time staying on. I really wanted to love this product. But it made my life more difficult.
@@waterfilterguru yeah maybe. I ended up keeping it because it still has the "best" filter, and i was too lazy to try and find another one lol. but i removed the white spout part in the front.
Bonjour, Précisez qu'il faut que le filtre soit sous l'eau chaude pendant 30 secondes, avant de le mettre dans la carafe. Good morning, Specify that the filter must be under hot water for 30 seconds before putting it in the carafe.
You should never filter hot water through any of these. Hot water should only be used to clean the pitcher body - but the heat will ruin the filter itself
Thank you for your insightful video. It's hard to find clearly filtered in the UK. They ship from their website but it becomes very expensive especially when considering purchasing filters every so often. Would you recommend the zero water filter and if so which one? I have a Brita filter at present.
Love you work! Modern Castle also found that Colbalt was added to the filtered water of CF. Bos water found silver was added. Is this not concerning? Makes it hard for me to trust a product
Very interesting that another test detected cobalt, do you know what level it was? This further supports my hypothesis that it came from the filter element. Silver detection is less concerning and not as surprising. Silver is commonly impregnated into activated carbon media in water filters to deter/ prevent the growth of bacteria due to its bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties.
I've used Zero for like 4 years and Clearly for a year now. By still using Zero for my electric kettle I totally avoid any calcification which Clearly is incapable of. I hate that with Clearly I have to keep a designated sheet of paper on my fridge and mark each gallon I filter (to make sure I'm within the recommended 100 gallons). Evidently, I drink a lot of water at home (~300 gallons a year) that equals $150-165 in filter replacements a year. At this point there are decent countertop reverse osmosis systems on the market that would produce times more water for the same price and time period. To bigger families it would mean significant savings. And if you own your home or somehow allowed to drill holes in your plumbing you should be researching under the sink RO systems. With one of those you won't have to manually refill your system with water ever. Other than that I have had a total peace of mind for having top quality water available. Thanks for the review and pointing out the flaws of that water.
Hey thanks for the great comment - you are right on point. While ZeroWater is the most expensive in terms of replacement filters ($0.70/ gallon on average!), Clearly Filtered is up there too. Countertop ROs are much cheaper to maintain, typically costing $0.10 - $0.20 per gallon - significantly cheaper. And the more invasive you get with the install, the cheaper the cost of ongoing maintenance in terms of filter replacements seems to get. Many under-sink ROs are
ZeroWater has a glass dispenser option geni.us/M68M0Ua which uses the same filter as the pitcher we tested in this project. We've not yet tested any other glass pitcher options. Supposedly Clearly Filtered have a glass vessel option coming out "soon"
Just found your channel, thanks for the great info. Bought a Boroux system, bad filter out of the box, thinking of returning for one of the following: Clearly Filtered/ Zero/or Epic. Money is no object and simplicity and ease of use is critical. Which of those three do you recommend? any thoughts on Boroux?
Hey thanks for the comment, great questions. 1) I'm currently in the middle of testing Boroux, video should be uploaded in 2-3 weeks. 2) As simplicity and ease of use are critical, have you considered a direct connect under sink system, like Clearly Filtered's tinyurl.com/ysmxjzbz these are super easy and non-permanent nor invasive to install, use the existing faucet, and filter water on-demand. Or is there a specific reason you want a pitcher filter?
@@waterfilterguru My wife wants something simple and could be put in the refrigerator. It took us 2 hours to go through the process with Boroux and she is not having that. the priming process is not for her(or me). She would rather have a pitcher.
What about the minerals that get removed from some of these filters. Another reason I loved Epic water was because it didnt create dead water and left the important minerals in the filtered water. Do you know, other when Epic which of the filters leave the water mineralised? Don’t Zero remove good minerals too? Such a shame with Epic too the cost of the replacement filters have sky rocketed in the UK to more than the cost of buying a new unit 😩
ZeroWater is the only one that completely demineralized the water in our testing. Some others greatly reduced minerals, but did not eliminate them entirely. If you want a high performing system but are concerned about demineralization, you could always consider remineralizing the water before drinking it using one of these methods waterfilterguru.com/how-to-remineralize-reverse-osmosis-water/
You shouldn't focus on warranty that's not what we are interested in, fluoride should be the top of all our list now the evidence of its dangers is out there and official
While contaminant reduction is of course given the most weight in our scoring system, we consider all the variables that are important to different folks
Thank you so much for doing this! I was going to by Epic Water but the lack of fluoride filtration is making me doubt. On their website they claim that they reduce >99% of fluoride. Why do you think it didn't work in your case?
It's hard to say for certain. As this was just one test, the results are really quite limited. Ideally we'd have tens of tests to be able to identify and exact cause or ongoing issue.
@@waterfilterguru Thank you for your reply! Makes sense what you say. Also, you recommend testing your tap water before buying a filter. I find the tests quite pricey however. What filter would you recommend for people that aren't going to test their tap water? I'm mostly concerned about fluoride. I know that my city fluoridates the water to 0.7 ug/l. Thanks!
Please make a comparison review like this one, but on 3rd party replacement filter brands like AquaCrest! And thank you for this amazingly comprehensive review 😊
Just found your channel . You have sent me down a rabbit hole . I travel for work and need something easy for me to take on a flight or by car . I stay in air bnbs and hotels. Any suggestions ? Thank you
My water fails with the following three contaminates: Total trihalomethanes, Haloacetic acids (HAA9)† and Nitrates. What would be the best pitcher for these issues? Many thanks for making this excellent video!
Either the Clearly Filtered pitcher geni.us/cNi1Gf or the ZeroWater pitcher geni.us/fX7Qj However I should note that Clearly Filtered only reduced nitrate by 11% whereas ZeroWater completely eliminated it. Yet ZeroWater did not completely eliminate Total trihalomethanes, whereas Clearly Filtered did. Haloacetic acids (HAA9) were not detected in our water during our test, so I don't have any first hand data to confirm performance, but Clearly Filtered claims >99.98% of HAAs, whereas ZeroWater does not.
@@waterfilterguru After reviewing your assessment, I will buy the ZeroWater. Nitrates in my area are 18x the EWG legal limit which is by far the worst of the contaminants in my water. Of course I want them all eliminated, but as you point out in your video there is no one clear choice. All is driven by the specific water supply. Thank you for all the work you do!
@@janinekarnig6282 Right on! Sounds like a solid choice. You could also pre-filter with a cheaper filter which may be more capable of reducing the DBPs (total trihalomethanes) - check out this video where I explain how to do that th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html
@@waterfilterguru thank you for the link! I watched your RO video which was excellent. Am I best served with the AQUATru countertop RO filter? It appears to address all three of my contaminants via a different technology. Thank you!
Both ZeroWater and Clearly Filtered had issues that unfortunately lowered their respective contaminant reduction scores: - ZeroWater did not do well reducing disinfection byproducts, specifically chloroform, which was detected in the filtered water, thus reducing the overall contaminant reduction score. - Clearly Filtered ADDED cobalt to the filtered water which was detected above the HGL, which lowered the overall score While contaminant reduction is the most important scoring factor in our system, making up 55% of the total score, there are additional factors that are also considered. You can learn all about our scoring system here: waterfilterguru.com/how-we-test-water-filters/ And here are in-depth analyses based on the data behind the scores for each product: waterfilterguru.com/clearly-filtered-water-pitcher-review/ waterfilterguru.com/zerowater-review/ waterfilterguru.com/epic-pure-water-filter-review/
@@StraightWhiteGuy. Not really. Warranty only makes up 2% of the total score, whereas contaminant reduction is weighted at 55% of the total score. You can read all about our scoring system and the different weights given to each criteria here waterfilterguru.com/how-we-test-water-filters/
Haloacetic acids were not detected in our testing, so unfortunately I don't have any firsthand data. That said, activated carbon is one of the best methods to reduce HAA5 so knowing that, most of these pitchers that use activated carbon media should work.
Great idea because CF would first reduce the disinfection byproducts that ZeroWater didn't do so well reducing in our test. But you can accomplish the same thing for cheaper, I even made an entire video about doing this already 😉 th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html
I wish you would test the Clear2O water pitcher, specifically the pitcher with the hose and locking system which hooks directly to the water tap for quick refills. While refilling in seconds instead of minutes seems alarming, Clear2O uses a supposed "solid" multistage filter which prevents the channeling of water. I've been using the Clear2O for years but I can't tell if this water pitcher is a gimmick or not.
What you describe sounds like a countertop water filter that relies on incoming water pressure to filter the water. This is a completely different filter system category and why it wasn't included in this video 🙂
@@waterfilterguru No. It's not a countertop water filter. It's a portable water pitcher with the same form factor and capacity as all the pitchers here. Fill it up, put in your fridge. Part of the reason why you test all of these pitchers here is because of marketing. Clear2O doesn't market their products, hence why they are invisible. Please look them up and test their pitcher. It could outperform all of these pitchers or it could fail miserably. I have no clue.
Boiling water wouldn't be necessary, and in fact would really only serve to INCREASE concentrations of most contaminants present. As water boils, the volume in the pot decreases as some of the water evaporates. Most contaminants are unable to evaporate so remain in the pot. If you decrease the total volume of water, but not the amounts of contaminants, the concentrations of those contaminants in the remaining water will increase. Only some VOCs will vaporize with the water. The only other reason to boil water is to disinfect it (destroy microbiological contaminants) - but disinfection is already taken care of at the water treatment plant. These pitchers should only be used with treated water.
Darn I just bought a Brita Elite today and already threw away my packaging or else I’d return it after watching this. I was using Zero water filter before.
If you have space in your kitchen, ALWAYS choose a 5 stage device which includes a CERAMIC filter (eg. Santevia). The microscopic pores in the ceramic material are more likely to trap nano & micro size fibres, plastics and even viruses.
The pores in ceramic water filters range from 0.5-0.2 microns, on average. It's good to note that ceramic filters only reduce suspended solids, including microorganisms which are larger than the pore size. Some microorganisms which are smaller than the pore size can slip through. That's said, if you are filtering treated city water, in most cases microorganisms shouldn't be a concern as these are dealt with when the water is disinfected at the water treatment plant and with the residual disinfection chemical in the distribution center. Ceramic filters alone are not capable of reducing dissolved organic and inorganic contaminants. I just wanted to clarify for anyone else reading 😉
@@waterfilterguru I did suggest a FIVE STAGE filter that also includes a Ceramic dome shape filter - just to clarify. Different ceramic manufacturers produce a variety of pore sizes. Often they trap solids well below 0.5 microns due to the physical nature of ceramic material.
I've had bad experiences with my Clearly Filtered pitcher, so I don't recommend them. I only put Icelandic Glacial bottled water in it, and in less than 2 weeks the filter water starts to taste foul, worse than drinking the bottled water by itself. This happened with multiple filters. And they are very expensive too. Will Probably try LARQ or Epic
Interesting, thanks for sharing. Can you provide more detail about the foul taste? What did it taste like exactly? Also curious why you'd want to filter the bottled water, I'd you don't mind sharing your thoughts 🙂
@@waterfilterguru Thanks for your reply. Honestly, I have no idea how to describe what it tastes like, which is why I described it as foul - but if I had to say, the taste reminds me of chemicals, sharp, bitter, etc. I have been using Clearly Filtered on and off for years and I have only had similar water quality issues when the filter reached the end of its life, and even then it didn't taste so terrible. Haha I know it sounds odd, but I used bottled water in the filter for multiple reasons. 1. To act as a control, since I have been having issues with the pitcher in the past, and wanted to test it against my own tap water. 2. To eliminate/reduce microplastics. 3. Because I enjoy the taste, I can tell the difference between bottled water brands in a blind test. 4. Some of my family don't bother with filtered pitchers, so I have the bottled water available. So why not use them if I prefer the taste? Reached out to Clearly Filtered and expressed my concerns, so hopefully they could shed some light. Just wanted to share my story so people can be informed when they purchase a pitcher.
This is on Epic's "Testing and Certification" page: "All of our products have been independently tested and verified by EPA accredited laboratories and have been individually tested at levels exceeding NSF/ANSI standards for contaminant removal. " "CERTIFICATION OF RESULTS: All analyses, and reporting performed herein, comply with all requirements set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:9E and N.J.A.C. 7:18, and hereby certify that this laboratory is in compliance with all laboratory certification and quality control procedures and requirements as set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:18; the NYCRR Subpart 55-2, the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC) Institute Standards, and the ISO 17025." - Under the logos of NELAC and ISO.
Hey Jim, this is a great question! There is a difference between holding official certifications, and simply testing products using a certified, accredited lab. Independent testing labs can evaluate filters, but official certification goes a step further. Certification means the product passed rigorous testing set by these organizations, ensuring it meets specific criteria for contaminant removal, structural integrity, and materials safety. So, while a lab test might tell you if a filter removes a certain contaminant(s), certification verifies the filter's overall quality and performance based on established standards. When it comes to water filter certifications, there are three main independent organizations that test and certify filters to national standards. Here they are along with links to their certified products databases: 1) NSF International (NSF) info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/ 2) the Water Quality Association (WQA) find.wqa.org/find-products#/ 3) and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) pld.iapmo.org/ These organizations are not affiliated with any government agency and act independently.
@@waterfilterguru Thanks! So while you rated Epic as the best or near best in this video, it's still not confirmed their claims for all contaminants are certain or not? This is a bit confusing.
@@JimEarl Our own independent testing was limited, as it only had a small set of the contaminants they claim to reduce. Manufacturers often publish their own lab testing data to show a product's performance, but again this is not as rigorous as the testing done to acquire official certification. Unfortunately it's common in the industry, and manufacturers use this lack of knowledge to market their products, saying things like "tested to NSF standards" - which does NOT mean the same thing as actually being certified.
Consider adding the new Epic PFOA pitcher filter to your next test. ASIS B0CWSG4MWF for the filter without pitcher. Seems it is suppose to reduce/remove 100+ contaminants. External Testing Certification= IAPMO per the amazon listing.
@@ipressdatofu Yes I do! No ETA at this time, but I love their innovation and reduction of plastic waste, so I'm excited to see how well it actually performs
That would be a bit overkill 😬 you could use two filters though, where you filter through a cheaper one first as a pre filter for a more advanced one like the ZeroWater, for example like I explain here th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html
@@waterfilterguru I was curious if it would be considered "pure" given each filter has strengths and weaknesses... maybe it would be 100% safe. Two sounds feasible, I'll check out the video. Thanks
@@music_anarchy No, probably not. Especially if you started with one of the most capable filters first, then subsequent filtration with less capable filters would provide minimal benefit. The best methods to actually purify water are distillation and reverse osmosis.
Some have been tested to reduce microplastics (like Clearly Filtered) while others, like the PUR Plus, are actually certified to do so. Keep in mind all of these are made out of plastic too, so the pitcher body itself may end up being a source of microplastics. We've not yet tested this theory, though.
@@waterfilterguru Thank you greatly for your response. I have been drinking out of plastic bottles and I am unsure if I can filtrate bottled water through the filter pitcher or that would be pointless. I heard that the plastic in bottled water is minuscule and shouldn't affect health? I am a confused consumer at this point.
@@Luneyaroc Research into the longer term health effects of MNP (micro and nanoplastics) consumption is ongoing. We are exposed to these tiny plastic particles in so many ways - not just through the water we drink. But if you drink exclusively bottle water in plastic bottles, I'd assume your exposure is higher. I always advocate for filtering your own tap water rather than relying on bottled water because not only is it more environmentally friendly but much cheaper as well
@@waterfilterguru Thank you! I appreciate your thoughtful responses. I will watch more of your videos to see if I can purchase a good product with glass instead of plastic.
See the 2023 Canadian study (from the government, a very large, well-funded study) that showed fluoride in drinking water led to lower IQs. That’s the tip of the iceberg. The real question is WHY put fluoride in water? If you want fluoride, there’s toothpaste and mouthwash. Who knows what fluoride does to other parts of the body when consumed regularly. I dont know, you don’t know, and i don’t want to find out.
You might not, but many folks would simply rather have the choice of consuming fluoride, as opposed to having it forced on them through community water fluoridation.
It's a hot debate. Some folks would simply rather have the choice. Additionally, studies have clearly established that long-term exposure to high doses of fluoride can have adverse effects on skeletal tissue (bones and teeth), which may cause higher risk of bone fractures in seniors. Skeletal fluorosis is a debilitating condition caused by high fluoride exposure during bone development in children. Elevated levels of fluoride in drinking water can also lead to dental fluorosis in children, which is the discoloration and molting away of tooth enamel. Evidence on low-dose, chronic exposure to fluoride is not definitive but has been indicated as having potential neurological impacts.
Keep in mind your water most likely has different contaminants than the water used in our test, and performance will vary from place to place. Waterdrop performed poorly in our test specifically because it was unable to address fluoride and uranium in our water.
You might want wanna do it the other way 'round. ZeroWater filters are a lot more expensive, so pre-filtering through Brita first should extend their lifespan and help save 💵
Sponsored = the creator accepted anything of value from a third party to make the video. We did not accept anything of value from a third party to make this video, therefore it's not sponsored 😉
In our testing Clearly Filtered: geni.us/cNi1Gf and Epic Pure: geni.us/bXrtQ3q. CF reduced calcium by 32% but increased magnesium by 64%. Epic Pure showed
@@savvyscheme6165 Unfortunately microplastics were not one of the analytes included in the test we used for this project, but we've got it on our list to try to replicate that consumer labs test to see if we get similar results or not. Microplastics leaching is a risk with any container made of plastic.
Simplelab's Health Guideline Level for Cobalt is 0.002 PPM (2 PPB) The EWG's Health Guideline Level for Cobalt is 0.07 PPM (70 PPB) The US EPA does not regulate Cobalt as part of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/national-primary-drinking-water-regulations
We pre-filter using Waterdrop's basic pitcher, to remove chlorine mostly and extend the life of the more expensive TDS filters. We then do a second pass through the Waterdrop TDS pitcher, which is also compatible with the ZeroWater filters. To expedite the process, we double up and use two pitchers at each step. We then use a funnel to transfer the water to 5 gallon heavy duty commercial water bottles for storage. The result is clear water that is free from odors, great tasting and avoids mineral buildup in a countertop ice maker. Afterwards, we shake the excess water from the filters and store them in the freezer in plastic zip lock bags when not in use to prevent bacteria or mold from forming. When it is time to filter again, we soak the filters in warm water for about 30 minutes. We also use a digital TDS and PH tester before and after filtering to monitor the effectiveness of the filters and to get baseline measurements of the tap water before filtering. While not comprehensive, it does give us sufficient information to determine whether the filter is still working correctly.
I've been using a Zerowater filter pitcher for a few years now and then I heard that they put microplastics into the water. Then I watched your video and it says that chloroform is put into the water. It seems like the amount of Cobalt introduced from the Clearly Filtered water pitcher seems relatively low, so I'll take my chances with it. I've also experienced issues with my zero water filter pitchers filtering really slow. It appears that air bubbles can get trapped in the filters and this causes them to filter really slow. I usually have to pull the top out of the pitcher and tap the filter with a butter knife or set it up out of the water for it to drain better. It's becoming very inconvenient.
Just wanna clarify here, I do not suspect the chloroform detection in our ZeroWater test came from the filter itself, but rather a lack of completely eliminating chloroform from the source water being filtered
What is your favorite water filter pitcher? Let us know below! ⬇
I have the water drop lucid. But I get use pur faucet also and sometimes a berkey set up to fill it haha.
What about PFAs that's the next big thing going on amen that people are concerned about. U should take the reigns on that. That'd be gr8
Zero Water filters suck. The second time I go to get replacement filters they are doing something odd. It worked fine with the new pitcher and filter. Replacement filters on Amazon sucks. I got grey water and one of the replacement filters I had leaked at the top. I refuse to spend money on shipping to return crappy products to Amazon.
@@chocolatecaramel4447 Grey water coming out of a brand new filter indicates activated carbon media fines are being flushed out. This is completely normal and most likely the cause, although I've not personally seen it with ZeroWater as their filters come pre-primed. When there is a leak at the seal, the filter needs to be screwed on tighter - this is one of the design flaws of ZW, you really have to screw it on super tight
Can you guys test those machines at the storefront?
Great video! I would love to see a test of, say, the top 5 pitchers comparing them at the end of their recommended filter lives, and perhaps even a test of a few weeks beyond, to see how they stack up against the test with brand new filters. It would also be interesting to see how long it takes for one of them to have no effect --- like what happens if you don't replace the filter for 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, or however long until the water is basically the same as it went in.
Love it. Great idea, thanks for the request!
@@waterfilterguru It's a very good idea. I've seen tests after longer usage that show even after a couple of days some filters lose their filtering abilities and what's even worse bacteria presence jumps significantly. I would love to see such a test from you one day
@@jk-cu2jp thanks for the added request!
Is it better to get a distiller and re-add minerals?
@@kayblossom8505 That depends on your personal preferences. While distillation is one of the best methods of water purification, the downside is that it takes massive time and energy inputs to distill a relatively small volume of water. 6-8 hours on average for just one gallon.
I've been using Clearly Filtered for about 2 years now and I absolutely love it. We all can taste the difference in our water now that it's filtered. The complete fluoride reduction is what sold me. My only complaint is that water somehow got into the handle and I was unable to get it out, so there is discoloration, probably from the normal water contaminants that are in there. I plan to replace the pitcher, however, and will continue to stay with this company.
Right on, thanks for sharing!
Does it filter hormones?
Too bad the new pitcher is 80 bux. Deal breaker for me. I was hoping for a loyal customer discount on the new model, but no dice.
@@waterfilterguruI've been using zero water for about 6 months and I was wondering what you thought about blueuva ?
@@KeyofDavid5778 I haven't tested Bluevua yet but I've got it on my list
I just discovered your channel- what a gold mine!! Keep up the good work 🙂
Glad you like the videos! Thanks for watching and the feedback
Great video as always. At the end of the day all I want to know what removes the most and does not introduce more nasty s. You were not kidding about the cost of the epic filter replacement. The filter is basically the price of the unit. I would just buy another unit. I don't understand why you don't have 500k plus subs. Your work is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the feedback! This was my first video covering multiple products like this. Was there anything about it you didn't like? Anything that was boring or missing that you were hoping to see?
I take audience feedback very seriously which helps me improve my videos every time I make a new one 🙂
@@waterfilterguru I thought it was good. Some categories don't mean as much to me but it may mean a lot to someone else. I have well water so I am not interested in fluoride reduction but someone who has city water it is a really big deal. You will never please everyone because its to broad of different wants and needs. Just leave it alone it was perfect I found out what I needed and I am sure others did as well. I noticed some people suggested you do follow ups with these products. I like that most of these filters have a 90 day lifespan well is that claim true. That would be really interesting.
@@johnmal5975 Perfect this is super helpful. Thanks for the feedback
My solution was to take my chipped and slightly cracked old Brita countertop (27 cup model, iirc) pitcher and use the cheap filters ($3 each) in it to filter out most of the major crud. Then use that (pre) filtered water in a better pitcher with a more expensive cartridge. The result is about the same quality, but the more expensive filter lasts 3-4 months as it's not getting clogged. YMMV, naturally. But yes, pre-filtering your water is a cheap way to make those higher quality filters last a lot longer.
Love it! I recently uploaded a video about this exact technique actually th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html thanks for sharing your insights!
@@plektosgaming Lalit if work, but what a wonderful idea👏
Thanks for the great video. Changed my mind from buying the Clearly Filtered to the Epic. The cost for the pitcher and 6 filters was $130 less and I think the filters last a month or so longer based on what I’m reading. Big long-term savings and I don’t mind having a small amounts of fluoride in my water under the lowest of healthy limits, like you had.
My city water smelled like chlorine, so I installed a CuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water Filter - 50K Ultra High Capacity. It’ll now effectively serve as a pre-filter for the colder water stored in the fridge from this Epic pitcher. Hopefully my Epic filters will last 4-months or more thanks to that.
Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful
Great comprehensive review! I've been hesitating between Zero Water and Clearly Filtered. Looks like the latter is more cost-effective in the long-term.
Not convinced that the Epic deserves its spot above ZW or CF. That design flaw made me gasp in horror.
Hey thanks for your comment and feedback. This really helps me to know this type of content is helpful and I should keep doing videos like this one! Epic took the top spot, based on our data-driven scoring system. Although both CF and ZW performed better in terms of overall contaminant reduction, they each had an issue that brought their scores down (cobalt added by CF, and ZW not addressing disinfection byproducts well). This is why Epic received a higher score
Don't fill up the unfiltered reservoir too much and leave it on a flat level surface. It doesn't leak around the filter so if you're not overfilling the reservoir you're perfectly fine.
Problem solved.
@@waterfilterguru there was a recent consumer report that zero water ADDED microplastics . Is this true?
@@geoc1 Can't confirm at this time, I've not tried to replicate the test yet
Wondering if you tested this for microplastic removal? A ConsumerLab test, done a few months ago, showed a 1,200% increase in microplastics from this filter. Zerowater says it's not true, so unsure if it's a quality control issue, or error. Interested to know if you tested for microplastics, and the results? Thank you!
No, unfortunately microplastics were not one of the analytes included in the lab test we used. I'd love to start testing every product for a microplastics as well, but currently testing for microplastics is extremely expensive and cost prohibitive. Hopefully new testing methods will bring the cost down and make it more feasible for folks testing at home.
I just came across this channel today. New subscriber! Thanks for all the great information
Thanks for the sub and glad to hear you like our videos 😁
please do a similar pro comparison of travel/portable water bottles!
Thanks for the request! I've got this on my to-do list already
@@waterfilterguru I already ordered a camelbak with lifestraw for a quick holiday next week, and looking at the larq purevis 2 for the longer run, but I would feel more confident after a thorough review and lab testing; thank you for your involvement!
Clearly Filtered filter only lasts 2 months for me .. a one person household... they said its because of high sediments in NYC water which clog the filter. They suggested I get a sediment filter but I wouldn't even know where to start with that. They do have oustanding customer service and I have always had a positive experience when I have reached out with questions.
I've heard this from a number of folks about NYC water. You could pre-filter with a cheaper filter (like a basic Brita) which should help extend the lifespan of the more robust and expensive CF filters. As the customer support rep mentioned you could also consider a sediment filter installed under your sink on the cold water line, like this UF filter from Waterdrop waterdropus.pxf.io/4PkbnZ
Fantastic video thanks for all the information. 👍
You're welcome I'm happy to hear it was helpful. Thanks for the feedback!
These reviews are excellent! Anyone that wants a filter should watch your channel before choosing their own. My question is, if I want to test water from my local spring both before and after filtering, do I need to buy more than one Top Score testing kit?
If you are wanting to test a water filter's performance, then yes you would need to test the water pre-filtration and then post-filtration. Then you can compare the reports to see how the filter performed. Check out the Tap Score Spring Water specific tests geni.us/72RzPaw
@@waterfilterguru Thank you for letting me know! We have a local spring that the city said is "ok". I think I'd rather know for myself before I drink too much of it.
@@gman1868 You're welcome. We always recommend lab testing. What the federal government says is OK (under the The National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR)) is different from what we personally might feel comfortable with. For example, the Maximum Contaminant Levels for contaminants under the NPDWR were developed to balance both public health and economic cost to treatment facilities - NOT solely on human health risk.
Zerowater is absolutely amazing but the fact the filters go so fast and the cost is insane. Sometimes I forget to pick one up , or if the store is out of stock then I’m screwed
Yes they are the most expensive filters to replace out of all the systems I've tested so far. But there is a hack to extend their lifespan 😉 check it out th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for such thorough, important information!! I use my filtered pitcher daily. Subscribed. 😊
Awesome! Thank you! What pitcher do you use?
For some reason TH-cam wont let me reply to you in my orginal comment so putting it here 😊
If you look on Modern Castles wesbite, he has provided access to all his Tap Score reports. The 1st test added 0.0035 Cobalt to his filtered water. The second added 0.0065. He also found over both tests it added molybdenum, selenium and nitrate.
When we start to see patterns emerge from multiple tests we can be more confident as to the root cause. In this instance, we saw a similar 0.0054 mg/L of cobalt detected post filtration, so that's 3 tests right there with similar results, which supports the hypothesis that cobalt is coming from the filter itself. In our test, Molybdenum and Nitrate were already present in the unfiltered water, and detections decreased post-filtration. So with this limited data we can't say whether or not the filter imparted small concentrations of these or not, since overall the detections decreased. It's really interesting to see data from other folks conducting similar testing, thanks for sharing your comment!
Was looking for this thanks!!
Right on, glad you found it and it was helpful!
Can you review the Aarke Purifier Water Filter Jug? Really curious to see how it compares, since it's a plastic free option.
Got it on the list! Thanks for the request
Thanks. You reduce points for slow filtration. But with chloramines (not present in the well water you tested) wouldn’t slow filtration be a plus? I thought slow was best to remove the ammonia in chloramines, which is the issue with my water along fluoride etc. I’ve been using clearly filtered but follow you in case there is something substantially preferable. Thanks again
Just to reiterate, the water we used for this test was *treated* well water - it comes from a community well that has a treatment plant which disinfects the water with chlorine (though not chloramine).
Part of our scoring system accounts for filtration rate, which is explained in our testing process document here waterfilterguru.com/how-we-test-water-filters/
That said, you are right sometimes slower filtration (like you get with gravity-fed units) is indeed beneficial as it gives the water longer contact time with the media. We take this into account in our scoring system, and gravity-fed systems (like these pitchers) are graded differently than pressurized systems.
The Clearly Filtered should be doing a solid job for you reducing both chloramine and fluoride. A great method to target chloramine is catalytic carbon, which I'm fairly certain is one component of their media blend.
There has to be a balance between filtration speed and contaminant removal. Slowness can help with contaminant removal, but what good does that do if we end up being thirsty and looking at an empty pitcher?
I'd been using PUR water filtration pitchers for around 15 years, but over the past year, I started noticing more and more tiny pieces of charcoal, and very tiny plastic blue, round pellets on the bottom of my water glasses! YUCK! And that is after carefully priming the new filters. I had to buy a very fine-mesh sieve to FILTER the charcoal pieces and weird blue things out of my filtered water. No bueno.
I knew it was time for a change, so I decided to do some research, and buy a new water filtration pitcher.
After watching your video, I purchased the Epic Water filtration pitcher from Amazon. I loved it for the first two weeks, and I was so happy because the water was CLEAR: no tiny pieces of charcoal or teeny, tiny blue pellets. But after two weeks of usage, the water suddenly and unexpectedly started tasting LIKE PLASTIC!!! It was so bad that I ended up returning the pitcher to Amazon.
I had such high hopes for the pitcher, but it let me down.
I would definitely LOVE to see a follow-up video that includes testing after one month of usage, plus a TASTE TEST!!!
Thank you for all the info in the video...in spite of the Epic Water filtration pitcher being an EPIC FAILURE IMHO!
Hey thanks for your comment and sharing your experience. Out of curiosity, did you reach out to the brand to see what they had to say?
Thank you for the info!
Thanks for watching!
for my area, the things exceeding EWG are Chromium (hexavalent), Haloacetic acids (HAA9)†, and Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)†. any recommended water filters?? I live in Hawaii
If you are looking for a pitcher specifically, Clearly Filtered geni.us/VsUZHW1
Should’ve test Seychelle also as they manufacture clearly filtered filters.
It’s like how LG & Samsung makes parts for other companies TVs
Test the Seychelle radiological grade filter & their regular or alkaline filter/pitcher against zero water & clearly filtered please
Interesting, can you share more about where you found this info?
Thanks for the request, I'll be testing the seychelle next time I do a pitchers project
Thank you for reviewing water filters- these videos have been so helpful! Can you use king tank filters on the berkey gravity fed? I don’t want you to buy a whole new system - nether TH-camr said you can you pro one filters on berkey.. I was wondering about king tank
Thank you
I've not tested the compatibility of installing and using different brands' filters in another's vessel
Could you do a shower filter test? We had a springwell whole house filter in our old home but had to move and the water in the apartment smells strongly of chlorine… tastes horrible, too. We will need to filter the sink water and also shower water since we don’t have the option of a whole apartment filter.
Thanks for the request! We do have shower filters on our project list. That said, most shower filters really only target the disinfection chemical (chlorine), and are all pretty similar.
Would love to see videos on filtering water bottles. I do a lot of traveling for work and have been using the clearly filtered one for a few years but have never really found any detailed comparisons online. I first used the Epic water bottle but shortly returned it after I saw their results sheet only showed 68% reduction of fluoride.
Thanks for the request! Filtered water bottles are on the to-do list, I'm excited for the project
Returning the Clearly filtered. The pitcher design is horrible. Most of the time the spout doesn’t open properly, resulting in spilling water everywhere. In addition, the back lid has a very hard time staying on. I really wanted to love this product. But it made my life more difficult.
Sorry to hear that, I didn't experience either of those issues with the one I tested. Perhaps you got a defective unit
@@waterfilterguru yeah maybe. I ended up keeping it because it still has the "best" filter, and i was too lazy to try and find another one lol. but i removed the white spout part in the front.
Bonjour,
Précisez qu'il faut que le filtre soit sous l'eau chaude pendant 30 secondes, avant de le mettre dans la carafe.
Good morning,
Specify that the filter must be under hot water for 30 seconds before putting it in the carafe.
You should never filter hot water through any of these. Hot water should only be used to clean the pitcher body - but the heat will ruin the filter itself
I only really care about removing all Fluoride, which is best ? thx !
Clearly Filtered geni.us/VsUZHW1 and ZeroWater geni.us/g7NtSZ completely removed fluoride in our testing
Thank you for your insightful video. It's hard to find clearly filtered in the UK. They ship from their website but it becomes very expensive especially when considering purchasing filters every so often. Would you recommend the zero water filter and if so which one? I have a Brita filter at present.
See 7:59 again! This is discussed in the video
@@waterfilterguru thank you. I find it hard to focus
I'm using zero water filter for over a year now since i Watched PF video, however I buy it in Walmart or amazon, so I'm not worried about shipping
Nice, did you see my ZeroWater lab test results video? th-cam.com/video/Ud45hxCFQyM/w-d-xo.html
Love you work! Modern Castle also found that Colbalt was added to the filtered water of CF. Bos water found silver was added. Is this not concerning? Makes it hard for me to trust a product
Very interesting that another test detected cobalt, do you know what level it was? This further supports my hypothesis that it came from the filter element.
Silver detection is less concerning and not as surprising. Silver is commonly impregnated into activated carbon media in water filters to deter/ prevent the growth of bacteria due to its bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties.
I've used Zero for like 4 years and Clearly for a year now. By still using Zero for my electric kettle I totally avoid any calcification which Clearly is incapable of. I hate that with Clearly I have to keep a designated sheet of paper on my fridge and mark each gallon I filter (to make sure I'm within the recommended 100 gallons). Evidently, I drink a lot of water at home (~300 gallons a year) that equals $150-165 in filter replacements a year. At this point there are decent countertop reverse osmosis systems on the market that would produce times more water for the same price and time period. To bigger families it would mean significant savings. And if you own your home or somehow allowed to drill holes in your plumbing you should be researching under the sink RO systems. With one of those you won't have to manually refill your system with water ever. Other than that I have had a total peace of mind for having top quality water available. Thanks for the review and pointing out the flaws of that water.
Hey thanks for the great comment - you are right on point. While ZeroWater is the most expensive in terms of replacement filters ($0.70/ gallon on average!), Clearly Filtered is up there too. Countertop ROs are much cheaper to maintain, typically costing $0.10 - $0.20 per gallon - significantly cheaper. And the more invasive you get with the install, the cheaper the cost of ongoing maintenance in terms of filter replacements seems to get. Many under-sink ROs are
Clearly is the best. Going on 3-4 years now
Nice! Glad to hear you like it. Great product
For the cost, there is only one choice for gravity filters
Nice channel! I am curious. Are the levels of Cobalt found in the Clearly Filter water a cause for concern?
This would be a good question for your physician
its in food so no i doubt it research it
Is there a glass pitcher that would compare to the best ones here?
ZeroWater has a glass dispenser option geni.us/M68M0Ua which uses the same filter as the pitcher we tested in this project. We've not yet tested any other glass pitcher options. Supposedly Clearly Filtered have a glass vessel option coming out "soon"
Just found your channel, thanks for the great info. Bought a Boroux system, bad filter out of the box, thinking of returning for one of the following: Clearly Filtered/ Zero/or Epic. Money is no object and simplicity and ease of use is critical. Which of those three do you recommend? any thoughts on Boroux?
Hey thanks for the comment, great questions.
1) I'm currently in the middle of testing Boroux, video should be uploaded in 2-3 weeks.
2) As simplicity and ease of use are critical, have you considered a direct connect under sink system, like Clearly Filtered's tinyurl.com/ysmxjzbz these are super easy and non-permanent nor invasive to install, use the existing faucet, and filter water on-demand. Or is there a specific reason you want a pitcher filter?
@@waterfilterguru My wife wants something simple and could be put in the refrigerator. It took us 2 hours to go through the process with Boroux and she is not having that. the priming process is not for her(or me). She would rather have a pitcher.
What about including checking for ph levels too... Good video tho. Thanks.
Thanks for the feedback. Noted!
Maybe you explain it in the video but why does fluoride need to be filtered out if it’s purposely put in our drinking water?
Thanks for the request, great idea for a followup video.
We've answered this question in our article here: waterfilterguru.com/fluoride-in-water/
what would you say is the best one to go with then given all the pros and cons per pitcher?
What contaminants are in your water that need to be addressed?
@@waterfilterguru good point, i guess i should test it first 😆
@@joe-5D That's the best place to start! Check out Tap Score for water testing, hands down the best bit.ly/3OPs0Vd
Thanks for the info and I will definitely consider using zero water!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching
The site you recommended for testing your water seems really expensive. Any other more affordable options to test my water? Thank you
Check out this video! th-cam.com/video/QO9i3dlXaOw/w-d-xo.html
What about the minerals that get removed from some of these filters. Another reason I loved Epic water was because it didnt create dead water and left the important minerals in the filtered water. Do you know, other when Epic which of the filters leave the water mineralised? Don’t Zero remove good minerals too? Such a shame with Epic too the cost of the replacement filters have sky rocketed in the UK to more than the cost of buying a new unit 😩
ZeroWater is the only one that completely demineralized the water in our testing. Some others greatly reduced minerals, but did not eliminate them entirely. If you want a high performing system but are concerned about demineralization, you could always consider remineralizing the water before drinking it using one of these methods waterfilterguru.com/how-to-remineralize-reverse-osmosis-water/
Love this channel. Can you do one on Epic pure nano? Please?
The pure and nano are two different models 😉 we did the pure in this test, but I'm guessing you are requesting the nano
You shouldn't focus on warranty that's not what we are interested in, fluoride should be the top of all our list now the evidence of its dangers is out there and official
While contaminant reduction is of course given the most weight in our scoring system, we consider all the variables that are important to different folks
Thank you so much for doing this! I was going to by Epic Water but the lack of fluoride filtration is making me doubt. On their website they claim that they reduce >99% of fluoride. Why do you think it didn't work in your case?
It's hard to say for certain. As this was just one test, the results are really quite limited. Ideally we'd have tens of tests to be able to identify and exact cause or ongoing issue.
@@waterfilterguru Thank you for your reply! Makes sense what you say. Also, you recommend testing your tap water before buying a filter. I find the tests quite pricey however. What filter would you recommend for people that aren't going to test their tap water? I'm mostly concerned about fluoride. I know that my city fluoridates the water to 0.7 ug/l. Thanks!
is the santevia gravity filter good though? it should be better than the pitcher i take it?
We've not tested the larger dispenser model, so I don't have any data for you at this point.
Please make a comparison review like this one, but on 3rd party replacement filter brands like AquaCrest! And thank you for this amazingly comprehensive review 😊
Thanks for the feedback and suggestion! Great idea
Lol the Santevia MINA actually ADDED flouride to your water?
A slight increase of 0.1 PPM was detected post filtration, yes
Lifestraw pitcher please
Added to the list. Thanks for the request!
At 58.00 for 200 gallons, my Clearly Filtered runs me .29 a gallon
Just found your channel . You have sent me down a rabbit hole . I travel for work and need something easy for me to take on a flight or by car . I stay in air bnbs and hotels. Any suggestions ? Thank you
Are you able to pack a pitcher? Otherwise you're probably looking at a filtered water bottle
I'm new and need help with my water. I get violently ill whenever I drink the tap water.
Hi thanks for your comment. I recommend starting with this video, I think it will be really helpful for you th-cam.com/video/JU4sPer1944/w-d-xo.html
have you also tested the larq against pfas or pfos if yes let me know what it score
PFOA/PFOS were not included in our testing, unfortunately. You can see the results of our LARQ testing here th-cam.com/video/sF9rALA9XgU/w-d-xo.html
My water fails with the following three contaminates: Total trihalomethanes, Haloacetic acids (HAA9)† and Nitrates. What would be the best pitcher for these issues? Many thanks for making this excellent video!
Either the Clearly Filtered pitcher geni.us/cNi1Gf or the ZeroWater pitcher geni.us/fX7Qj
However I should note that Clearly Filtered only reduced nitrate by 11% whereas ZeroWater completely eliminated it. Yet ZeroWater did not completely eliminate Total trihalomethanes, whereas Clearly Filtered did. Haloacetic acids (HAA9) were not detected in our water during our test, so I don't have any first hand data to confirm performance, but Clearly Filtered claims >99.98% of HAAs, whereas ZeroWater does not.
@@waterfilterguru After reviewing your assessment, I will buy the ZeroWater. Nitrates in my area are 18x the EWG legal limit which is by far the worst of the contaminants in my water. Of course I want them all eliminated, but as you point out in your video there is no one clear choice. All is driven by the specific water supply. Thank you for all the work you do!
@@janinekarnig6282 Right on! Sounds like a solid choice. You could also pre-filter with a cheaper filter which may be more capable of reducing the DBPs (total trihalomethanes) - check out this video where I explain how to do that th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html
@@waterfilterguru thank you for the link! I watched your RO video which was excellent. Am I best served with the AQUATru countertop RO filter? It appears to address all three of my contaminants via a different technology. Thank you!
@@janinekarnig6282 Yes the AquaTru would be my recommended solution! Get it here geni.us/chlQv5o I thought you were looking for a pitcher specifically
How is epic water number 1 ?? When it isn’t beating zero water or clearly filtered in FILTERING. What!?
Both ZeroWater and Clearly Filtered had issues that unfortunately lowered their respective contaminant reduction scores:
- ZeroWater did not do well reducing disinfection byproducts, specifically chloroform, which was detected in the filtered water, thus reducing the overall contaminant reduction score.
- Clearly Filtered ADDED cobalt to the filtered water which was detected above the HGL, which lowered the overall score
While contaminant reduction is the most important scoring factor in our system, making up 55% of the total score, there are additional factors that are also considered. You can learn all about our scoring system here: waterfilterguru.com/how-we-test-water-filters/
And here are in-depth analyses based on the data behind the scores for each product:
waterfilterguru.com/clearly-filtered-water-pitcher-review/
waterfilterguru.com/zerowater-review/
waterfilterguru.com/epic-pure-water-filter-review/
I bet the cobalt is bc you didn’t flush the filter enough, didn’t force enough eater through it before using it but just a guess
These scores would differ hugely if they didn't add scores for warranty and just focus on it's filtration
@@StraightWhiteGuy. Not really. Warranty only makes up 2% of the total score, whereas contaminant reduction is weighted at 55% of the total score. You can read all about our scoring system and the different weights given to each criteria here waterfilterguru.com/how-we-test-water-filters/
Which of these filters removes Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) the best?
Haloacetic acids were not detected in our testing, so unfortunately I don't have any firsthand data. That said, activated carbon is one of the best methods to reduce HAA5 so knowing that, most of these pitchers that use activated carbon media should work.
Love Epic water pitcher has a 90 countdown on lid. A more expensive Clearly Filtered filter fits perfectly in Epic pitcher but it's rip off.
Why do you say it's a rip off?
If you filtered water through Clearly filtered, and then Zero Water, how would that do?
Great idea because CF would first reduce the disinfection byproducts that ZeroWater didn't do so well reducing in our test. But you can accomplish the same thing for cheaper, I even made an entire video about doing this already 😉 th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html
I dont understand what the battery is for?
Some pitchers have a filter change reminder, timer or light, that is battery powered. Which filter are you referring to specifically?
you should test some of the survival company filtering systems like 4Patriot water filter, and my patriots water filters!
Thanks for the request/ suggestions!
which one protects from PFAS?
Clearly Filtered geni.us/cNi1Gf is certified for PFOA and PFOS (two of the most common PFAS compounds)
I wish you would test the Clear2O water pitcher, specifically the pitcher with the hose and locking system which hooks directly to the water tap for quick refills. While refilling in seconds instead of minutes seems alarming, Clear2O uses a supposed "solid" multistage filter which prevents the channeling of water. I've been using the Clear2O for years but I can't tell if this water pitcher is a gimmick or not.
What you describe sounds like a countertop water filter that relies on incoming water pressure to filter the water. This is a completely different filter system category and why it wasn't included in this video 🙂
@@waterfilterguru No. It's not a countertop water filter. It's a portable water pitcher with the same form factor and capacity as all the pitchers here. Fill it up, put in your fridge. Part of the reason why you test all of these pitchers here is because of marketing. Clear2O doesn't market their products, hence why they are invisible. Please look them up and test their pitcher. It could outperform all of these pitchers or it could fail miserably. I have no clue.
Have you tested which produces the most microplastics?
@@blee3ee not yet but it's on the list
Thanks for this.Very eye opening. I think I'm going to boil my water first then use a filter pitcher. Would that be too much? LOL
Boiling water wouldn't be necessary, and in fact would really only serve to INCREASE concentrations of most contaminants present. As water boils, the volume in the pot decreases as some of the water evaporates. Most contaminants are unable to evaporate so remain in the pot. If you decrease the total volume of water, but not the amounts of contaminants, the concentrations of those contaminants in the remaining water will increase. Only some VOCs will vaporize with the water.
The only other reason to boil water is to disinfect it (destroy microbiological contaminants) - but disinfection is already taken care of at the water treatment plant. These pitchers should only be used with treated water.
Darn I just bought a Brita Elite today and already threw away my packaging or else I’d return it after watching this. I was using Zero water filter before.
Use the Brita to pre filter for the ZW like this th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html
If you have space in your kitchen, ALWAYS choose a 5 stage device which includes a CERAMIC filter (eg. Santevia). The microscopic pores in the ceramic material are more likely to trap nano & micro size fibres, plastics and even viruses.
The pores in ceramic water filters range from 0.5-0.2 microns, on average. It's good to note that ceramic filters only reduce suspended solids, including microorganisms which are larger than the pore size. Some microorganisms which are smaller than the pore size can slip through. That's said, if you are filtering treated city water, in most cases microorganisms shouldn't be a concern as these are dealt with when the water is disinfected at the water treatment plant and with the residual disinfection chemical in the distribution center.
Ceramic filters alone are not capable of reducing dissolved organic and inorganic contaminants.
I just wanted to clarify for anyone else reading 😉
@@waterfilterguru I did suggest a FIVE STAGE filter that also includes a Ceramic dome shape filter - just to clarify. Different ceramic manufacturers produce a variety of pore sizes. Often they trap solids well below 0.5 microns due to the physical nature of ceramic material.
@@return2earthvideochannel Yep, got it, I just wanted to clarify for anyone else who reads this that doesn't know what a five stage filter involves 🙂
Have you heard of the Getwell water system popularized on FB? Any chance you might do something on that one?
Never heard of it. I can add it to our list to look into and possibly consider for a future project. Thanks for the request!
Which one pitcher is best for us
What contaminants are in your water that need to be addressed?
I've had bad experiences with my Clearly Filtered pitcher, so I don't recommend them. I only put Icelandic Glacial bottled water in it, and in less than 2 weeks the filter water starts to taste foul, worse than drinking the bottled water by itself. This happened with multiple filters. And they are very expensive too. Will Probably try LARQ or Epic
Interesting, thanks for sharing. Can you provide more detail about the foul taste? What did it taste like exactly?
Also curious why you'd want to filter the bottled water, I'd you don't mind sharing your thoughts 🙂
@@waterfilterguru Thanks for your reply. Honestly, I have no idea how to describe what it tastes like, which is why I described it as foul - but if I had to say, the taste reminds me of chemicals, sharp, bitter, etc.
I have been using Clearly Filtered on and off for years and I have only had similar water quality issues when the filter reached the end of its life, and even then it didn't taste so terrible.
Haha I know it sounds odd, but I used bottled water in the filter for multiple reasons. 1. To act as a control, since I have been having issues with the pitcher in the past, and wanted to test it against my own tap water. 2. To eliminate/reduce microplastics. 3. Because I enjoy the taste, I can tell the difference between bottled water brands in a blind test. 4. Some of my family don't bother with filtered pitchers, so I have the bottled water available. So why not use them if I prefer the taste?
Reached out to Clearly Filtered and expressed my concerns, so hopefully they could shed some light. Just wanted to share my story so people can be informed when they purchase a pitcher.
Hi, what do you mean by "lack of certification for Epic's filters"? Who or what is the last word in determining that a filter's specs are true?
This is on Epic's "Testing and Certification" page: "All of our products have been independently tested and verified by EPA accredited laboratories and have been individually tested at levels exceeding NSF/ANSI standards for contaminant removal. " "CERTIFICATION OF RESULTS:
All analyses, and reporting performed herein, comply with all requirements set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:9E and N.J.A.C. 7:18, and hereby certify that this laboratory is in compliance with all
laboratory certification and quality control procedures and requirements as set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:18; the NYCRR Subpart 55-2, the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC) Institute Standards, and the ISO 17025." - Under the logos of NELAC and ISO.
Hey Jim, this is a great question!
There is a difference between holding official certifications, and simply testing products using a certified, accredited lab.
Independent testing labs can evaluate filters, but official certification goes a step further. Certification means the product passed rigorous testing set by these organizations, ensuring it meets specific criteria for contaminant removal, structural integrity, and materials safety. So, while a lab test might tell you if a filter removes a certain contaminant(s), certification verifies the filter's overall quality and performance based on established standards.
When it comes to water filter certifications, there are three main independent organizations that test and certify filters to national standards. Here they are along with links to their certified products databases:
1) NSF International (NSF) info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/
2) the Water Quality Association (WQA) find.wqa.org/find-products#/
3) and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) pld.iapmo.org/
These organizations are not affiliated with any government agency and act independently.
@@waterfilterguru Thanks! So while you rated Epic as the best or near best in this video, it's still not confirmed their claims for all contaminants are certain or not? This is a bit confusing.
@@JimEarl Our own independent testing was limited, as it only had a small set of the contaminants they claim to reduce. Manufacturers often publish their own lab testing data to show a product's performance, but again this is not as rigorous as the testing done to acquire official certification. Unfortunately it's common in the industry, and manufacturers use this lack of knowledge to market their products, saying things like "tested to NSF standards" - which does NOT mean the same thing as actually being certified.
Which would be beat on a budget?
What contaminants do you need to address?
Aquaphor?
Haven't tested that one yet
@waterfilterguru Zero water removed the fluoride?
Yes 100% reduction in fluoride
What about the ph of the water after the filtration?
It depends on the filter, so impact pH more than others
@@waterfilterguru i have zero water, and the oh if the water is more than 7,5. How to improve the ph
@@marekmak283 Odd, typically ZW is more acidic, since minerals are removed. Are you testing with a digital pH meter?
@@waterfilterguru yes exactly, ph digital
@@marekmak283 When was the last time it was calibrated?
Thanks.
You're welcome
What about Alexapure pitcher
Haven't tested it yet, just their stainless steel filter th-cam.com/video/LUwzp-7qV6c/w-d-xo.html
Have you tested LifeStraw pitchers?
Not yet
Consider adding the new Epic PFOA pitcher filter to your next test. ASIS B0CWSG4MWF for the filter without pitcher. Seems it is suppose to reduce/remove 100+ contaminants. External Testing Certification= IAPMO per the amazon listing.
I'll add it to our list for the next time we test more pitchers. I appreciate the request!
@@waterfilterguru Should have been
ASIN B0CWSG4MWF
No idea how my fat fingers managed to hit an S instead of the N.
@@flylow7f39 ASIN is an Amazon specific item number
@@waterfilterguru AFAIK amazon is the only place it is being sold at this time
Cleansui recommended.
Never heard of it, I'll have to check it out. Thanks
Seychelles???
The pitcher?
Epic Filter Pitchers filter water way too slowly.
When was the last time you changed your filter?
Have you tested the Aarke?
We have not yet
@@waterfilterguru Do you plan to?
@@ipressdatofu Yes I do! No ETA at this time, but I love their innovation and reduction of plastic waste, so I'm excited to see how well it actually performs
@@waterfilterguru Thanks - it would be great if you could test it because while the user reviews are good, they don't have any certifications.
What if you poured it through all of them one by one?
That would be a bit overkill 😬 you could use two filters though, where you filter through a cheaper one first as a pre filter for a more advanced one like the ZeroWater, for example like I explain here th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html
@@waterfilterguru I was curious if it would be considered "pure" given each filter has strengths and weaknesses... maybe it would be 100% safe. Two sounds feasible, I'll check out the video. Thanks
@@music_anarchy No, probably not. Especially if you started with one of the most capable filters first, then subsequent filtration with less capable filters would provide minimal benefit. The best methods to actually purify water are distillation and reverse osmosis.
@@waterfilterguru I guess I could look at portables as I live in a rental property. For now think I will filter, boil, cool down, store
@@music_anarchy Yep, there are lots of great countertop units for use in rentals! Have you seen this video? th-cam.com/video/rAeRcqfXnRo/w-d-xo.html
Do these filters remove plastic?
Some have been tested to reduce microplastics (like Clearly Filtered) while others, like the PUR Plus, are actually certified to do so. Keep in mind all of these are made out of plastic too, so the pitcher body itself may end up being a source of microplastics. We've not yet tested this theory, though.
@@waterfilterguru Thank you greatly for your response. I have been drinking out of plastic bottles and I am unsure if I can filtrate bottled water through the filter pitcher or that would be pointless. I heard that the plastic in bottled water is minuscule and shouldn't affect health? I am a confused consumer at this point.
@@Luneyaroc Research into the longer term health effects of MNP (micro and nanoplastics) consumption is ongoing. We are exposed to these tiny plastic particles in so many ways - not just through the water we drink. But if you drink exclusively bottle water in plastic bottles, I'd assume your exposure is higher. I always advocate for filtering your own tap water rather than relying on bottled water because not only is it more environmentally friendly but much cheaper as well
@@waterfilterguru Thank you! I appreciate your thoughtful responses. I will watch more of your videos to see if I can purchase a good product with glass instead of plastic.
@@Luneyaroc You're welcome!
Why would I want it to remove flouride
See the 2023 Canadian study (from the government, a very large, well-funded study) that showed fluoride in drinking water led to lower IQs. That’s the tip of the iceberg. The real question is WHY put fluoride in water? If you want fluoride, there’s toothpaste and mouthwash. Who knows what fluoride does to other parts of the body when consumed regularly. I dont know, you don’t know, and i don’t want to find out.
Google is your friend on that one. Pros and cons if drinking fluoride
@@joshualesher6539 I've researched it
It's fine
You might not, but many folks would simply rather have the choice of consuming fluoride, as opposed to having it forced on them through community water fluoridation.
Why would you want to reduce fluoride? The government literally adds it to the water to prevent tooth decay. And it works.
It's a hot debate. Some folks would simply rather have the choice.
Additionally, studies have clearly established that long-term exposure to high doses of fluoride can have adverse effects on skeletal tissue (bones and teeth), which may cause higher risk of bone fractures in seniors. Skeletal fluorosis is a debilitating condition caused by high fluoride exposure during bone development in children. Elevated levels of fluoride in drinking water can also lead to dental fluorosis in children, which is the discoloration and molting away of tooth enamel. Evidence on low-dose, chronic exposure to fluoride is not definitive but has been indicated as having potential neurological impacts.
Fluoride effects the brain
I just brought a Waterdrop 😭
Keep in mind your water most likely has different contaminants than the water used in our test, and performance will vary from place to place. Waterdrop performed poorly in our test specifically because it was unable to address fluoride and uranium in our water.
Filter water TWICE. Two seperate filters. I take my zero water then pass it thru Brita elite 😂
You might want wanna do it the other way 'round. ZeroWater filters are a lot more expensive, so pre-filtering through Brita first should extend their lifespan and help save 💵
@@waterfilterguru Yes 👍
Yes use the Brita first bc it’s trash compared to clearly filtered, that way the more expensive more high quality filters last longer.
@@Cowboys777 👍
Buy Pur and this is the worse thing which ibought.The clear water it's takes 3 hours.The filter is terrible water comes in 2 drops.😢
Sounds like the filter has reached capacity and needs to be replaced
Great content but needs to talk louder please.
Thanks for the feedback
Brita
See 2:35
Not sponsored but use my link
Sponsored = the creator accepted anything of value from a third party to make the video.
We did not accept anything of value from a third party to make this video, therefore it's not sponsored 😉
Which filter doesn't remove the good minerals?
In our testing Clearly Filtered: geni.us/cNi1Gf and Epic Pure: geni.us/bXrtQ3q. CF reduced calcium by 32% but increased magnesium by 64%. Epic Pure showed
The big issue today is how well they filter microplastics
*one* of the big issues today 😔
So they all suck 🤷♂️
Nope, 3 stood out above the rest
@@waterfilterguru Another commenter noted that ConsumerLab discovered that the ZeroWater filter releases microplastics into the water.
@@savvyscheme6165 Unfortunately microplastics were not one of the analytes included in the test we used for this project, but we've got it on our list to try to replicate that consumer labs test to see if we get similar results or not. Microplastics leaching is a risk with any container made of plastic.
What is the safety level for cobalt in ppm? Google said it was 70ppb. so 54ppm X 1000 =54000ppb. Is this true?
Simplelab's Health Guideline Level for Cobalt is 0.002 PPM (2 PPB)
The EWG's Health Guideline Level for Cobalt is 0.07 PPM (70 PPB)
The US EPA does not regulate Cobalt as part of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/national-primary-drinking-water-regulations
@@waterfilterguru Oh, OK, I think I get it. Thank you.
@@sailnbabe happy to help explain
We pre-filter using Waterdrop's basic pitcher, to remove chlorine mostly and extend the life of the more expensive TDS filters. We then do a second pass through the Waterdrop TDS pitcher, which is also compatible with the ZeroWater filters. To expedite the process, we double up and use two pitchers at each step. We then use a funnel to transfer the water to 5 gallon heavy duty commercial water bottles for storage. The result is clear water that is free from odors, great tasting and avoids mineral buildup in a countertop ice maker.
Afterwards, we shake the excess water from the filters and store them in the freezer in plastic zip lock bags when not in use to prevent bacteria or mold from forming. When it is time to filter again, we soak the filters in warm water for about 30 minutes. We also use a digital TDS and PH tester before and after filtering to monitor the effectiveness of the filters and to get baseline measurements of the tap water before filtering. While not comprehensive, it does give us sufficient information to determine whether the filter is still working correctly.
I've been using a Zerowater filter pitcher for a few years now and then I heard that they put microplastics into the water. Then I watched your video and it says that chloroform is put into the water. It seems like the amount of Cobalt introduced from the Clearly Filtered water pitcher seems relatively low, so I'll take my chances with it.
I've also experienced issues with my zero water filter pitchers filtering really slow. It appears that air bubbles can get trapped in the filters and this causes them to filter really slow. I usually have to pull the top out of the pitcher and tap the filter with a butter knife or set it up out of the water for it to drain better. It's becoming very inconvenient.
Just wanna clarify here, I do not suspect the chloroform detection in our ZeroWater test came from the filter itself, but rather a lack of completely eliminating chloroform from the source water being filtered
My zero filter ran slow as well, I bought the biggest Reservoir , No I don't worry much
The filter in Pur pitcher not working well.Its takes 3 hours to get clear water.Bad design, terrible filter😢
Sounds like your filter has reached capacity, and is not doing much to reduce contaminants anymore. Time to replace